Piece of furniture will go under the hammer for Ysgol Pentrecelyn

HE is a Hollywood star now but Rhys Ifans has shown he hasn’t forgotten his roots by donating his old wardrobe to a school auction.

The Ruthin born star of Notting Hill, Twin Town and The Amazing Spider Man isn’t donating his outfits – he’s giving the piece of furniture itself to his old alma mater Ysgol Pentrecelyn.

Rhys and his brother Llyr – he starred alongside him in Twin Town and now appears on S4C show Rownd a Rownd – both went to the school and their mother Beti was a teacher there.

The Welsh language school is holding an auction night to raise funds, and the star’s mum revealed he picked up the acting bug there.

She said: “Rhys had his first experience on the stage, taking part in nativity plays and learning to play the trumpet.

“Ysgol Pentrecelyn is very important to us as a family. We have lots of happy memories as it is such a tight-knit rural school which is at the heart of the local community.

“Everyone got on well then and it is still the same today.”

Headteacher Delyth Brown is delighted one of the school’s famous old boys is helping out

She said: “Rhys Ifans’ old wardrobe could well be a collector’s item in the future and who knows how much something like that could make on e-Bay.”

Nia Môn from the school’s parent-teacher association said the only disappointment is that he won’t be able to pop out of the wardrobe to make a surprise appearance as he is filming in Los Angeles that day.

And it’s not just Rhys providing the stardust for the auction at Llanfair Hall near Ruthin on June 7.

Wales rugby star George North will be donating a signed Scarlet’s rugby shirt.

Ms Brown added: “We’ve been very lucky to have fantastic donations including a place on a cookery course at the new Bodnant Food Centre and a weekend hire of an MX3 car to name but a few.”

One of the teachers, Jan Wilson-Jones, who won the first series of Casa Dudley (S4C’s version of Masterchef) will be cooking a curry on the night.

Tickets for the auction and details of phone bidding from Delyth Gruffydd on 07583 390316.